stigma
by Ms. AtomicBomb
Summary: After breaking up with her fiance, Arturia gets drunk and calls him a hundred times; but the next morning she notices that she'd been wailing her sorrows to the wrong person. Wishing to formally apologize to the poor stranger, she calls him again and arranges a meeting. But what if he's just what she's been looking for? Diarturia AU
1. one

_author's note_

_this is a long awaited fic from the 'story ideas' page i published years ago wow  
this is going to be a short story so probably 6-10 chapters? we'll see!_

* * *

Her eyes fluttered open and she yawned as she turned her head towards her nightstand. She had expected to see the bright red numbers on her silver alarm clock to tell her the time but the clock had gone missing. She peaked over the bed and saw it on the floor with the lights off. She trailed the connection cord to the base and noticed it'd been unplugged; in fact, most of the items in her nightstand littered the floor.

Arturia moaned after she rolled over on her back, stared at the ceiling and heaved. She pulled her body up to a sitting position and immediately felt the loud and bloody thumping in her head.

It'd been a rough night—a _very _rough night, but she still couldn't pinpoint why it was so. She was trying her best to slip out of her bed, the frown on her lips cutting deeper with every movement. She finally stood, pulling a blanket around herself, and once she did, she was faced with what seemed to be the biggest problem at hand; a tornado had hit her room, or at least that's what it looked like.

The closet had clothes bleeding from it, the window was wide open (the cool autumn breeze nipping at her), objects had lost their position from stands or tables and thrown across the room; some even broken. She was amazed that something so important happened but she couldn't remember what it was. She rubbed her eyes.

It was the lack of engagement ring that rushed the memories of the night before back into her mind. She groaned, the realization so clear in her mind that the anger bubbled up inside her once again. "Why would he—How could he? And tell me after so long? I just—ugh!"

Arturia gasped.

She searched for her phone through the mess that was her room. She could still hear the ringing of the phone in her ears, how she poured out her anger, her pain, her frustration to her fiancé. She could still feel the phone clutched tightly in her hands as she remembered she gripped it with force as she she dialed the phone number. She could still feel the burn of the hard liquor down her throat, the smell of burnt cookies, the dryness of her throat from all the screaming and crying.

She rubbed her head, trying to massage the pain away from her hangover but it was clearly not working. She remembered having taken too many wine glasses after her fiancé broke things off for the claim that he was bisexual and had been with a man for about five months. She laughed about it, believing herself to be the stupidest person on earth as she downed half a bottle of whisky.

She recalled the craziest parts of the night. She pulled out his outfits from their closet, garment by garment and threw them out the open window. She watched as they flew down to the lawn, scattering all over the fresh green grass as if they were rose petals. Arturia couldn't get it out of her mind, the way she yelled at him, the way she pushed him away when he tried to explain herself.

Arturia let out another groan, recalling as she threw the alarm clock towards him, screaming profanities his way. What hurt her the most was that he'd cheated on her! That he'd proposed and cheated on her immediately after as if it were nothing. As if it meant nothing to him. As if she wouldn't be hurt.

She could still hear his arguments as he followed her around the house, trying to stop her from wrecking the whole place. Arturia remembered that she deleted his number as they argued. She could still hear what he'd said to her as he left the house.

"This is why I can't marry you, Arturia! Because you're insane!"

"_Insane_?" She scoffed from the front door as he picked up his clothes from the yard. Their neighbours had gathered by their porches and windows to see what all the commotion was about. "You bloody cheated on me, wanker! And on top of that you proposed to me when you're sleeping with a man! _A man_!"

"The whole block doesn't need to know, idiot!" He yelled back at her. "They don't need to know about my bloody sex life!"

"Oh god!" She groaned upon snapping back to the present, "I'm so fucking stupid!" Then she remembered that later she called him, apologizing profusely, the drink talking as she begged him to come back, then calling and swearing at him, calling over and over with mixed emotions and so many words on her lips. She had trouble remembering his number, she remembered that clearly, but she managed somehow. He barely said a word to her on the phone but always answered every call, she expected him to let her run to voicemail, but he never did, not even once.

She found her phone in the bathtub, questioning herself, she picked it up and noticed it was out of battery and so she begrudgingly placed it to charge on her night stand. Arturia thought it best to clean up while it charged, she managed to get her bedroom halfway in order before she rushed to her phone.

_53%_, it read.

_Good enough_, she thought and rubbed her face, preparing herself for how desperate she'd sounded. She picked up the phone and immediately checked how many calls she'd made.

_xxx-562-6384 (27)_

She gasped. Twenty-seven calls? She called him twenty-seven times? And he picked up every single one?

She saw the time she made the last call.

_5:52 a.m._

Then she checked the time on her phone, it was past midday.

Her phone vibrated in her hands and she jumped, seeing a notification that she'd received a text.

_xxx-562-6384  
hey, um, hope you're doing better today_

Her eyes scanned the text and she frowned. "Oh so now he cares, that jerk!" Her phone buzzed again.

_xxx-562-6384  
I was a little worried with how you sounded last night..._

Rolling her eyes, she scoffed.

_xxx-562-6384_  
_you deserve better than that Gil jerk_  
_and please take care of yourself, you shouldn't drink so much_

"Wait," she gasped, "wait, wait, _wait_!" She read the phone number over and over. "Shit, oh god, no!" She practically screamed as she noted that it wasn't her ex's number. She made a mistake! It wasn't supposed to be 562, it was 652! She just about sank to the hardwood floor and screamed. Oh god, what'd she said to the poor soul who answered the phone?

She scrolled up the texts and saw hers, gasping as she kept reading them, every single one of them. She started from the beginning of the conversation.

_You bloody wanker!_  
_How could you? How?_  
_Cheat on me? On me?_

_Sorry, I think you have the wrong number_

She should've actually listened! She proceeded reading every text they exchanged. There were probably nearly a hundred texts from her, mixed emotions spread across them.

" to think that I actually believed you loved me

that we almost had a future together

that i loved you "

That text hurt her the most and made her embarrassed and horrified. Arturia dug her nails into her knee as she gathered the courage to call the stranger again. This time she hoped she could apologize profusely and make it up to them somehow.

Taking a deep breath, she called.

Riiiing, riii—

"_Hello_?"


	2. two

With a sober mind, she contemplated whether calling him was a good idea or if this was best left as was. Guilt ridden, she deemed it the right decision.

"_Hello_?"

Arturia's breath caught in her throat as she hadn't expected him (yes _him_, she noted that much by his deep fluid voice) to pick up so quickly, well, who would after they were verbally harassed? She'd forgotten what she'd prepared to say, her mind blanked and she stood in silence.

"Hello?" His voice questioned once again.

"I-uh, I…" she stuttered, tripping over her words while she took a seat on her bed.

He waited. She wasn't sure why he didn't just go off on a tangent defending himself, tell her off for harassing him, or even throw in a couple of words to fill the silence, if anything. He just waited, it was a nice gesture.

"I wanted to apologize. I—"

"It's okay, really." It was the first time that he'd interrupted her. He hadn't done so throughout the many calls and texts she'd sent. "I'm guessing you already noticed you had the wrong number. It's really no problem, I sort of feel the need to back you up if you need help with that jerk."

She laughed. Oh god, she _laughed_. "Honestly," she sighed, "I feel completely horrible about what I put you through. I wanted to thank you. Thank you very much for listening to me. I wasn't in the right state of mind yesterday, I'd been drinking and I was livid with… I just, I'm very sorry to have put you through such a horrible and uncomfortable situation."

"As I said, you don't have to worry about it at all."

"I think I do. Thank you for listening to me...and not hanging up on me at all. I really appreciate it."

"I wouldn't dare hang up on someone distressed. Are you…" he paused, she guessed he got distracted, "are you feeling better today?"

She nodded. "Uhm, yeah, slightly. I mean the hangover is killing me but…but yeah, I guess I'm better."

He went silent for a while and Arturia thought he'd probably hung up on her but when she pulled the phone from her ear it confirmed he was still on the line.

She heard a click through the phone and a bit of shuffling, what sounded like a plastic bags. "You know," he finally spoke, "you should go out with friends. Have a girl's day out or something. That's usually what I do when I'm let down."

"I…" She thought about it. "I don't have many girl friends and they're not around right now…"

"Then," he breathed, "how about I invite you out? What do you think of a coffee? To brighten your week. It'd be good to get your mind off…" he trailed.

It was actually shocking that she let her mind linger on the thought. An idea popped into her mind and before she actually thought it through, she suggested, "We should meet, that way I can give you a formal apology." She guessed that a box of chocolates and an apology card would do the trick.

"I…" it seemed like he changed his mind, "that sounds nice. So, Emiya's?"

Arturia searched her mind, trying to locate the memory if she'd ever been there. "I don't know where that is…"

"Oh, I'll send you the address. We live in the same city so that shouldn't be a problem. It's in city center, thought it would be a good place to meet."

"Wait," she frowned, "how do you know that? That we live in the same city?"

He chuckled. "You mentioned it yesterday."

"Oh." Her voice was barely above a mumble. "When do we meet?"

There was shuffling again and she had to hold the cellphone away from her ear since the distorted noise intensified the pulsing in her head. The fact that she had agreed to meet up with a stranger hit her at that moment and she knew it was way too late to take it back.

"Uhm, what about this afternoon?" He asked.

She fell back on her bed and stared at her ceiling. Thinking about what she had planned for that day.

Cake choosing, she recalled. "Oh fuck no," she growled.

"Oh, it's no good?"

"No, I, I mean yes. It's just that...I booked a wedding cake tasting today… And the deposit, well, it's non refundable."

"Right," he mumbled, "are you still going?"

"To be honest, I do want to have cake, but there's no way in hell I'm going alone," she grumbled. "Would you like to come with me?"

"To the cake tasting?"

"Gil will not show his face anywhere near the place," anger laced her words, "so why won't you come along? And then we can go for the coffee afterwards."

"I don't…"

"Oh, you don't like cake? I understand, it's alright… I'll see what I can do…"

"No, I do like cake, very much. But, well, I don't think it's very appropriate to go with you to the, uhm, shop."

"That's okay." She smiled, "Coffee at three? That way I can just head over for the cake tasting right after. Is that alright with you?"

"Three o'clock? Yes, that sounds great. I'll see you then." She nearly hung up when the man asked her another question. "Oh wait, what's your name?"

"I, uhm, my name's Arturia."

"Diarmuid, nice to...talk to you. I'll see you soon."

After hanging up and leaving her phone to charge, she stood from the bed and huffed. What had she thought? That by calling Gil over and over he would return? That he'd grovel for her forgiveness? Was she out of her goddamn mind? At least she didn't hurt her pride and beg Gil to come back by calling the wrong number.

Arturia closed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples to ease the headache. She gathered a towel that was discarded on the floor and headed to the bathroom to let the warm water soothe her pain and muscles.

When she passed the mirror, she caught sight of how insane she looked. Her makeup was smudged, eyeliner clouding her eyes and mascara running down her cheeks, her white dress shirt had spills of wine and whiskey, her hair was a tangled mess and the anger in her eyes made her deranged. If someone were to see her now…

Arturia strode past the mirror and tried to stop the images of the previous night from replaying over and over in her mind.


	3. three

Arturia ripped the napkin into small thin strips and rolled them between her fingers, the coffee cup in front of her radiated it's warmth against her knuckles. She took a deep breath as she recalled the rainy night at a quaint little coffee shop somewhere on the road to Paris where Gilgamesh had fallen to one knee.

She couldn't help but hear the Parisian song that danced in the shop that time, the smell of fresh baked bread and how he made sure they swept the floor he was about to kneel on properly.

Even his smile had come to mind when she'd said yes to him and she cursed herself for believing him. She cursed herself for saying yes to him.

She cursed herself for falling.

To think how much she'd given him! How much she poured herself out to him! How much she loved him! It had all just been a joke to him, she'd just been a pastime and he had never really loved her. Oh she should've guessed, how he'd only seen her as a possession all this time.

The anger bubbled up inside her and she felt her heartbeat speed up. Did that jerk really think he could just end things? After the fact that he had gotten her family involved?

The bell above the cafe door rang and she immediately shot her head up. She watched as a handsome man entered the shop, his body looming over everything and his head missing the bell for he ducked just in time. She watched him steadily as he walked towards the counter and ordered two drinks. He wore a pair of dark sun glasses but she could tell he was handsome by his strong jaw and well built shoulders. She nodded to herself and rolled her eyes at the ridiculous thought that the man she spoke with on the phone was that handsome. He'd sounded appealing but there was no possible way she could've called a model-worthy man.

Arturia checked the time on her phone, it was still early for their meeting, he wouldn't want to be early, she assumed. She'd arrived ten minutes early and settled in the farthest corner, having ordered a coffee and a pastry to keep her company while the man arrived. She jumped through the apps on her phone as she tried to kill time until he'd get there.

Her phone vibrated.

_xxx-652-6384_

_Why'd you lock the door? _

Not daring to make the same mistake again, she read the phone number carefully. Her nails dug into her palms and she was just about to launch the phone until it began to vibrate again. This time a call.

"You're fucking ballsy to call again." She didn't even let the phone ring a second time, the rage was about to boil over and she wanted to strangle the man.

"Where the fuck did you put the keys?"

"Wow," she scoffed, "I can't believe you're acting so unbothered when you cheated on me!"

"Where are the fucking keys?" He repeated, voice raising. "I left my passport behind. Plus, this is my fucking house!"

"Your house?" She too raised her voice and noticed that the whole cafe was staring at her. She cleared her throat and turned. "I put in half the money, don't you dare think you can take it from me, you asshole."

"Don't make me break the window, I will fucking do it."

"I'd love to see you try, little man, I really would. Break it, I fucking dare you!"

Someone cleared their throat and she looked up. There she saw the handsome man that had walked in. Her heart could have skipped a beat if it weren't for the fact that her ex-fiance was calling her a bitch over the phone.

"Break it and I'll press charges," she hissed over the phone and then hung up. "I'm so sorry, I'll be silent now."

The man offered a smile and he looked heaven sent as he pulled the sunglasses from his face. She wouldn't be surprised if he told her he was a model or an angel. "No, I...I'm guessing you're Arturia, right?"

A puzzled expression clouded her features and then she gasped. "D-Diarmuid?"

"Mind if I sit?"

"I am so sorry about the argument. I…"

"He called you, huh?" His brows furrowed and concern laced his words. "Are you okay?"

Arturia nodded, looking back down.

Diarmuid nodded. He pushed one of the coffee cups in his hands towards her. "I got you a coffee, are you okay with a double-double?"

She traced her eyes from his hand back up to his face. "Oh, thank you, you really shouldn't have." Their eyes both fell on the coffee she'd gotten herself.

"I figured," he laughed, "it's a little too late now, though. Plus, two coffees are better than one, right?"

"You'll have me Tokyo drifting with more than one."

Diarmuid laughed at the joke and settle in his seat. "So, how are you?"

Arturia shrugged and she could feel her heart swell when he leaned his body slightly towards her. Under any normal circumstance, she wouldn't have really been interested (sure he was handsome, but he didn't really seem like her type). She thought it might have just been because she was just dumped and he seemed to show a bit of interest. "Better." She clasped the coffee in her hands. "But not exactly perfect."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"There's nothing much to say…" Her voice died slowly. "Well, I don't think I should bother you with that. I came to apologize." She turned around and pulled a small present box from her purse. "Here," she mumbled.

"Oh, it wasn't necessary, I understand what you're going through and I completely—"

"Please, accept it. I feel awful for last night and it was horrible and offensive of me to have said what I did. I'm really sorry. It's the least I can do."

He reached for the present and thanked her a few times. "I still can't fathom how he left you, you're so sweet and beautiful."

Arturia's eyes widened and she felt a blush cover her cheeks. "I...I'm not...you don't have to—"

"I mean it."

"Well, uhm, I think I better head off to the cake shop."

Diarmuid looked down at his watch. "Isn't it still a bit early? If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to you a bit longer."

The look on his face caged her heart in an instant and she felt her throat constrict. She'd already caught sight of a beauty mark under his eye, but with that hopeful look in his eyes, she couldn't help but notice how handsome he actually was, how kind he looked. His cheeks were slightly flushed, his hazel eye full of hope, they way his mouth was pursed with near uncertainty; he had to be an angel, there was no way a man could look adorable and absolutely handsome without being ethereal.

"I…" She found herself sitting back down. "I guess I can wait a bit longer."

They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before he had finally broken the silence. He asked about what she did for a living, and what hobbies she enjoyed. Arturia had gotten far too lost in the conversation for they talked and talked, finding out they shared quite a bit in common.


	4. four

Arturia tried to hide her smile. The man seemed so nice, he was clearly far from Gilgamesh and he seemed way better. His smile, his eyes, and the little gestures he made; he was the very definition of a man in Arturia's eyes. Why the hell had she even fallen for Gilgamesh? "In any case, thank you so much for accepting my invitation." They'd finally reached the bakery after their short walk from the café.

The ivory stone walls of the building were decorated with golden carvings, making the place look like a mid 17-century chateau. The bright pastel sign read Marie's Confectionary in cursive, and one could tell, just by looking through the lace-covered windows, that the place was for rich folk. It had the air of perfection and intricacy.

"I should be the one thanking you for inviting me," he spoke, a bright smile on his lips, "I've never been to a cake testing. Though, I feel slightly out of place." He looked down at his attire, jeans and sneakers weren't exactly fitting for the occasion.

"Why would you say that?" Arturia's knitted her brows.

He opened the door of the cake establishment and the smell of fresh baked sweet bread filled their lungs. A small chime, as of a music box, sung above them as the door closed behind them. He smiled at her again and rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't think, I—uh, I fit in."

"I think you do. You seem like you belong here more than me." Arturia led him to the counter of the shop.

"Oh, Arturia, you shouldn't—trust me, you're more than perfect for the occasion."

She rolled her eyes in a light-hearted manner and shrugged her shoulders.

The marble countertops were lined with decorated sweets and pastries. The rose gold decorations against the white marble were clearly thoroughly planned out. Only the best for the rich folk, Diarmuid guessed, which was when it hit him; Arturia had to be rich.

"Marie," Arturia called, tapping her nails against the marble countertop. She just loved the click-click-clickitty sound it made every time she tapped her nails against any hard surface.

Diarmuid, however, didn't like that sound, it reminded him of a scary story his father had told him once upon a time when he was only a child.

A short woman, much shorter than Arturia herself, emerged from what seemed to be the kitchen, she was clothed in a traditional baker's outfit with a little red scarf around her neck. Her hair was pulled back into one large bun while her fringe hugged her face. She looked adorable with that kind smile on her face and her big blue-bell eyes. If you were to see her in the streets, you'd think she was a teenager.

"Artie, ma cherie, how are you?" She had an accent, one Diarmuid had trouble differentiating. It sounded French (and she'd obviously spoken in French) but he swore she sounded a little… German? Austrian? Maybe.

Immediately, Arturia was wrapped into a tight and overwhelming hug. She gave a crisp clear laugh as she was pulled in tighter. "Sweetheart, how are you? You seem… did Gilgamesh do something?" Marie pulled away, holding Arturia at arms length as she analyzed her face.

Arturia laughed again, this time her voice cracked. "No, no, he didn't."

Diarmuid shot her a side glance and Marie could tell by Arturia's puffy eyes that she was lying.

Marie knew Arturia wouldn't crack if she persisted, she never did, so she opted it best to keep silent. "So, why didn't he join you?" Her voice chirpy and cheery.

"He had a lot to do today, you know how he is when the company calls. Sometimes I think he's engaged to the company." Arturia joked, trying to ease the clenching of her heart. Oh god, she could still remember how he'd admitted to cheating while they were in the middle of dinner. She could still feel the way her heart sunk and how the betrayal clouded her vision.

Marie frowned, squeezing the woman's shoulders in order to offer loving support. "Oh bebé, you already know how I feel about him."

Arturia smiled. "In any case, I didn't want our deposit to go to waste, so, I brought a friend along. Marie, this is Diarmuid."

Marie finally looked at Diarmuid, for she'd been so fixated on Arturia. Her eyes almost sparkled at the sight. She felt her heart skip a beat and for the slightest of seconds, her gaze glazed over his beauty mark and then his lips. "Friend?" Marie raised an eyebrow, prying her gaze away from the man.

Arturia nodded, catching the fact that Marie was clearly attracted with just one look.

"Hello, Diarmuid, was it?" After his nod of approval, she continued. "I'm Marie, as you might have already guessed, I'm a baker. I'm in charge of making Arturia's wedding cake and today you'll be able to taste some of my creations, trust me, they are heavenly."

"I have no doubt." Diarmuid smiled.

Arturia and Diarmuid were sat down at a table in the kitchen while Marie hurried over to the fridge to get the cakes. They didn't need to wait ;long before three cakes were placed in front of them.

"These are the very best that we have. I made them exclusively for the wedding and your tasting. The first one," a pastel pink one that had roses and gold sprinkles, "is vanilla but with authentic strawberry and pomegranate cream. I sued some gold sheets to decorate it. The second," a blue one with intricate medieval designs, "is a blueberry cake made with ingredients from France, the cream includes a bit of champagne." Marie pushed the last one, a normal white cake with golden roses adorning it. "This one, I must admit, is a bit exotic. I decided to make a passion fruit cake, I thought it would be a unique piece."

"They all look divine." Diarmuid couldn't help but grin at her. "I am honestly deeply honoured to have even a little taste."

Marie blushed and looked away for a second. "You needn't be so appraising."

Arturia reached for the first cake as soon as Marie cut a slice. She dug in right away and couldn't help but give a light moan in reply. "Marie, you never disappoint." She mumbled between bites. "I think you're truly a saint in this world."

With Arturia's praising and approval, Diarmuid couldn't help but dig in. He took a bite. Then two. Then three. The cake was soft and creamy. It wasn't too sweet nor was it bitter, it was perfect, the way in melted in his mouth, the sweet taste of strawberry and the exotic pomegranate twist it had. Oh was it really divine.

The next two cakes were also divine and Diarmuid found it hard to choose his favourite between them. He almost wished he was getting married hoping to contract Marie to make him another cake.

They chatted with Marie for a bit longer and Arturia had finally admitted that things didn't workout with Gilgamesh. She didn't go into any specifics, nor how she'd met Diarmuid, but all she said was:

"Gilgamesh and I broke things off...he's been very busy and things weren't...going well. It was for the best." Arturia smiled and shrugged, but her eyes showed a different story.

Marie nodded slowly and brought Arturia into a tight hug. "Oh, don't worry sweetheart, it's going to be okay."

Arturia pulled away, her eyes slightly watery and red. She sniffled and stood from the chair. "Wow, I think, I think we'd better go." She took Diarmuid's hand and lead him toward the edge of the kitchen.

"Okay, bebe, but we should meet up sometime this week. We should talk about it, when you're ready."

Arturia nodded. "Of course."

They exchanged a kiss on the cheek and Diarmuid was pulled out of the store towards a luxurious car that was parked across the street. He'd caught the brand; a Du Lac. She was clearly rich, but not even that couldn't make her happy either.


	5. five

Arturia shut her eyes closed as soon as they had settled in the car. She gripped the steering wheel and they sat in silence. The car not even on. Just the serene silence of the night. They'd talked to Marie for so long that it was dark outside, there were barely any cars around.

"Is everything okay?" Diarmuid mumbled under his breath.

Arturia sighed. "No, not it's not. I don't know what to do." She opened her eyes and stared right ahead. "What am I going to tell Father? My sister? I can't lie to them as I did with Marie. I just...can't."

Diarmuid wasn't sure what to say. No one he'd ever known had gone through such a situation. He was rubbish at comforting others, especially people he'd just met. "I-it's going to be okay."

"Easy for you to say! You weren't cheated on!" Immediately after she said this, her anger subsided and she looked apologetic. "I'm sorry I-you know I didn't mean that, right?"

Diarmuid nodded. "It's okay. I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through."

Arturia fell back on the driver's seat. "Do you know a quiet place? Just...far away from everything?"

Diarmuid nodded. "The west end of the town is mostly suburb, but if you pass Lower Base, it becomes rural. There's a small park there. Not many people go, it's a little hidden in the trees."

"Take me there."

The ride was silent, barely either of them spoke as soft songs played on the radio. The night relaxing them both.

Arturia felt as if she were running away, running away from work, from Gilgamesh, from all her responsibilities. She wanted to run away fro real. She wanted to get away from the heavy feeling in her chest, from the horrible pain in her heart. She wanted to rid herself of the memory of Gilgamesh. Oh, how she wished she could erase him from her mind.

"Here," Diarmuid mumbled, pointing at a small park, a tire swing hanging from a tree branch.

"How'd you find this place?" She looked over at him, putting the car in park.

Diarmuid smiled. "My brother brought me here a lot when we were kids. Before he went off and got himself married."

Arturia turned the car off and sat back. "What about you?" She asked.

"What about me?"

"Affianced? Married? Dating?"

Diarmuid laughed. "None. I didn't really have a good experience a few years back."

"Hmm." Arturia opened the door. "We should step out for some fresh air."

Diarmuid followed her to the bench just a ways away from the car. They sat down, enjoying the crickets and the night. The stars above them were like a blanket, clearly visible and comforting.

"It's weird. If you'd ask me three days ago what I thought the week would be like," Arturia took a deep breath, "I would've said that Gilgamesh and I would've gone to the Cake tasting. I would've picked out my wedding dress on Sunday. I would've been married next month, goddamn it."

Diarmuid remained silent.

"I sure as hell wouldn't have said that I'd be sitting in a park at night with a stranger far from civilization."

He chuckled.

Arturia slouched over and buried her face in her hands. "Why is my life such a bloody mess?"

"Arturia," Diarmuid hesitantly patted her back, "I know that right now it's tough, I know how that feels, to be completely brought down by someone you thought you loved. But, it will really get better, as long as you want it to."

She looked over at him and smiled. "You're a great man, Diarmuid. I have no idea why someone would break your heart. You deserved much better than her."

He returned the smile as she sat up properly, facing him. "And you deserve better than your ex too. You shouldn't let him bring you down. You're a beautiful and strong girl. Trust me, you're probably the prettiest woman I've met."

Arturia could see the stars in his eyes. He looked beautiful. How different would her life have been if she had met him instead of Gilgamesh? How happier would she have been if Gilgamesh wasn't in her life?

She didn't know what came over her. It must have been a bloody demon to coax her to inch closer.

Her lips pressed against his. Butterflies exploded in her stomach and she shuffled closer to him. He was noticeably tense. He didn't move a single muscle, not even to push her off.

She immediately became infatuated with the feeling of his soft lips against her. Her hand landed on his bicep and she tightened her grip for a second, she leaned closer and hesitantly moved her lips.

He eased and sunk into the kiss, reciprocating nearly hesitantly.

Her heart sped up. She felt her fingertips ignite. But what she appreciated more, was the hand that landed on her cheek.

* * *

_too early? nahhhhh_


End file.
